Intro
Adding the NMR data
Seminar and Greg's birthday
After that, we had the Scarborough lab meeting. It was Greg's birthday today! Jack asked me to sign his card sneakily after the seminar. The Scarbourgh lab has a humorous tradition of singing happy birthday to birthday recipients in the way they request. It's usually, really fast and low. This time, Greg request it to be really high and slow, to make it more tortuous. It was absolutely hysterical!
My presentation and Victor's at Scarborough lab meeting
However, I DID have a crap ton of fun, and I made no room to doubt this fact. Dr. Scarborough seemed amused. I told them the most funny thing that I enjoyed about inorganic chemistry was that they did reactions that turned strange colors, and then were baffled about what that meant. I also loved NMR and hadn't been doing it long enough to be poisoned by the shimming problem. I asked if anyone had managed to shim an NMR correctly and the answer was resounding silence and shrugged shoulders, everyone looking at their neighbor with frowns of doubt.
Victor presented, and though he said his project wasn't very good, his data was actually quite interesting I thought. He had more slides and talked a lot longer than I did, and so much more calmly and confidently! I envied that.
After the presentation, my nerves were shot and I was pretty much useless for the rest of the day. That's just how I am after these things, pretty much. I was going to go to Barnes and Nobles, but I ended up talking to Marika. I told her, sorry I was so nervous, but she assured me that my presentation was quite good and I had done different stuff than Victor, and it didn't really mean much that I "hadn't done" as much as he had. Victor didn't do NMR.
I just felt so much overflowing love and appreciation for Marika at that moment. And I told her she was the best mentor I had ever had - which is quite true. She said, no, Khallid would be a really good mentor to me. I said, yes, that was true, but she was at least equally as good. Marika always gives me these completely disbelieving, doubtful and embarrassed looks when I say this, but I'm completely not lying one jot.
Marika and I talking about life and Lex Luther
I told her her boyfriend reminded me of the Lex Luther in the Smallville series. She looked him up on her phone, because she'd never seen the series and said, "Oh. He does." I kind of felt badly for saying that, but I've wanted to tell her that since I met her. I told her though, her boyfriend I know is way nicer than Lex Luther, because, he actually does laundry and that's amazingly nice.
I told Marika that she had such a calming influence on me, and she looked incredulous at this as well. She said, well, apparently she only has this effect on people that AREN'T NEAR HER. And I was like, no, no, I'll visit.
Marika's interesting story
And Marika said, for some reason, she was really drawn to this post, and even responded to it and said, though she was an atheist, she really appreciated how her friend turned a negative situation into a positive. And her friend said yes, she remembered their days of restaurant working and how it was really rough. And Marika was like - you know, that's true! That's a really good point!
And the next day, she went to a restaurant with some friends. She had an energy drink with her and was trying to finish it so she brought it inside. And she said usually most restaurant people could care less if you had some drink with you. But their waiter was really rude, and told her, she absolutely could not have that drink with her, and was trying to take it from her ... WHILE she was drinking it - like, taking it out of her hand! That made her so mad, Marika said. But she remembered that Facebook post and thought, well, he must just be having a bad day. And that made her be able to keep her temper. And she told me, isn't that funny? It's so weird I saw that post and then that happened. It's almost like it was meant to be. And she said, even though she was an atheist, she could appreciate how if you did positive things, you'd be more inclined to get positive responses. She said she just wanted to tell me that, because she thought I'd find it amusing and thought I'd probably be able to appreciate it.
I just thought that was a fascinating conversation. I pray that the Lord will show her that He's real. I've been praying that on and off for a while. And, I told her, though she was an atheist, I'm praying for her data not to be confusing. And she said, oh good, because that would be really nice.
Little parting experiments, like chocolate nuggets
FIN
Appendix: Songs by David Ingles
COPYRIGHT 1976 David Ingles Music SESAC
*Sadly there are no Youtube videos for most of these great songs
You came here imprisoned and in bondage
You're not lost, but not entirely free
God has placed in me His words of wisdom
Appointed unto me authority
You may be a soul compared to Lazarus
Raised from death in grave clothes wrapped about
Waiting for the words of power and freedom
Listen and be loosed from fear and doubt
You are free! You are free!
Raised from death, delivered, free indeed
The prison doors are open
And your bands are loosed
Start making plans, believing you receive
Now you know the truth and you are free
As I look at you, the love of God within me
Rises from my spirit to my voice
His holy love is flowing to you through me
While I pronounce the words of God's own choice
It's compassion I obtained from Jesus
The Holy Spirit's demonstrating way
The power of God to birth, to heal, deliver
Is declared a fact of faith today
You are free! You are free!
Raised from death, delivered, free indeed
The prison doors are open
And your bands are loosed
Start making plans, believing you receive
Now you know the truth and you are free
PEOPLE OF ZION
COPYRIGHT 1995 David Ingles Music SESAC
*I didn't listen to this song today but I like the words
Come on people, give the Lord a praise
Stand in reverence with your voices raised
He's deserving of our high acclaim
Let's give Him all the glory due His name
People of Zion, exalt your King
Lift up your voices, let praise begin
Thoughts be established, let anthems ring
Flowing in worship, adoringly
This special honor, have all His saints
To bind up evil, through giving thanks
Lift up your voices, to Jesus sing
People of Zion, exalt your King
Bring Him treasures from your inner store
Calling deep, your spirit to employ
Giving praise to the Father brings Him joy
So let everything that's breathing praise the Lord
DON'T SING THOSE SONGS ANYMORE
COPYRIGHT 1976 David Ingles Music SESAC
*Did listen to this song and it reminded me of Pastor's Buddy's message on blessing and cursing
Folsom Prison Blues and
Mack The Knife
Invite the chains of bondage and of strife
Don't think it's not important
What you say, 'cause today
You're the total
Of your talking yesterday
There's more to this
A little closer home
Like, An Old Account Was
Settled Long Ago
Hold The Fort” and
Farther Along
And living here on
Barely get along
Now I sing
The Seed Of Abraham,
The righteousness of God
That's who I am
Things in life
Just started working out
When I stopped singing songs
That peddle death and doubt
I don't sing those songs anymore
Like, “Born To Lose”
And of the life before
What we say is what we get for sure
I don't sing those songs anymore
YOU HOLD A MIRACLE
COPYRIGHT 1976 David Ingles Music SESAC
*Listened to this one. I really love how the Lord can take my ordinary and make it unordinary
Jesus made wine from water
When they obeyed His command
And this was the beginning of miracles
From things that they held in their hands
It's in your hands you hold a miracle
Though not much to you turn it to Him
And He'll take what you give to Him
And make it what you want to be
A miracle it's in your hands
Jesus did miracles to meet human need
Also that men might believe
And almost always used common men
Who held in their hands common things
It's in your hands you hold a miracle
Though not much to you turn it to Him
And He'll take what you give to Him
And make it what you want to be
A miracle it's in your hands
You're the one to set in motion
The miracle that you desire
Open your eyes look in your hands
You have it you hold the power
It's in your hands you hold a miracle
Though not much to you turn it to Him
And He'll take what you give to Him
And make it what you want to be
A miracle it's in your hands